Settling In

So I'm in at me mums place and as settled as I can be for the next month or three. I have already visited a few spots and snapped a couple of things.

RSPB Burton Mere wetlands was my first point of call, I have enlisted as a volunteer and will hopefully be able to do at least one session a week there. I also popped down the road a mile or so to Burton marshes, where as many as 13 SEO's are being seen regularly, unfortunately on the day I visited although it had been sunny at about 3.30pm by 4.00pm it was raining and grey so no sightings or shots this time, but it holds great promise.

I have also obtained permission for a feeder station in an orchard owned by a very good childhood friend. I spent an hour or so setting up the feeders this morning. I want to add a few props over the next few days but again, I hope it holds good promise.

I haven't done much photography, Burton Mere has the same problems as a lot of other places that the hides are too far from the waters edge and face the wrong direction for most of the day. However I did manage a shot or two at a feeder station by the reception center.

Rats were the main visitors, with no less than 9 seen under the feeders.

with Chaffinch also being present.

There were lots of birds present at the site mind, BT Godwits in large numbers, Lapwings, Canada Geese, Teal, Shoveller, Gadwall, snipe, a Greenshank or two, Little Egret, Heron, Kestrel, Goldfinch, Tits. etc. So i expect to get some shots from there.

The trip to Burton Marsh produced no SEO's as I said but if only the sun had been in the right place I would have had cracking Kestrel shots. Here is an example, wish she had been on the other side of me.

So, a promising start and lots more to explore, the whole of the Dee estuary offers some great birding chances, and of course Conwy RSPB, Martin mere, and Leighton Moss are all within about an hours drive of here. I am hoping for a great winter.

Favourites from the year so far

I'm busy packing so combine that with some crappy weather and you will understand why I have nothing new to show you this time.

So I spent a little while going through the archives and came up with some of my favourite shots of the year so far, they are not necessarily the most difficult, or technically perfect, Just the shots that for one reason or another I like.



Hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed getting them.

A years first and a life first.

The years first comes in the shape of a Red Admiral butterfly, I was commenting to someone recently that I had only seen 2 or 3 Red Admirals this year and not managed to get a shot of any of them. Blow me if whilst out with the camera yesterday (28/9) I didn't see 4 within 10 feet of each other. I managed to get close enough with the 100mm macro to snap a few frames of one of them.

I'd forgotten just how large the Admiral is.

There were also a large number of Comma butterflies present too. Managed a frame of that as well.

I also got the caterpillar of the Comma, but from a different location.

The life time first was another shield bug I'm afraid. Initially I thought it was a Forest bug when I saw it, but having managed to get a shot of it I saw it was different. I confirmed it on the net and with my books as being a Spiked Shield bug, Picromerus Bidens.

I also got a few Bronze Shield bugs. Much smaller than most of the other shield bugs.

A very nice spider and the return of a moth complete the post this week.
Crab Spider:

and an Angle Shades moth.

It really is getting to almost bird time now, just got to wait for those until I get to Chester. Come back soon

With a mind to a move.

With my mind on moving back up north I have stopped feeding the birds in my garden and my don't I notice the difference. I only get the odd visitor at the moment but I feel it is better to stop now than suddenly stop at the end of October when there may be less natural food around and they may be more dependent on it.

Photography wise I have continued with the bugs, with a little bit of swan and duck thrown in. I have found a couple of new bugs to show you, and one from an amazing set of photographs that I was fortunate to grab before getting soaked.

Lets start with the swan and duck.

Despite the sun, it was quite cold and windy a real taster for winter. Not fully in true colours yet but getting there. The swans have become incredibly used to humans now, with many people being able to feed the cygnets by hand.

The bugs have been great fun again, I really love doing them and I feel a lot fitter having walked around and around the park and fields nearby. I have shown you a couple of Troilus Luridus larva but finally this week I got an adult, it is identifiable by the yellow on the last but one segment of its antennas.

I also got my first picture of a Vine Weevil, It was on the path on the new part of the estate up from me, I was dressed in Camo trousers, Camo baseball hat and green Tee shirt, laying flat on my belly, ok maybe not dead flat, totally involved with what I was doing when an M.O.D police car came up and stopped alongside me. He was obviously suspicious of a man in full camo on the estate and I showed him some of the shots I had taken to put his mind at rest.

A washed out Small Copper came my way, nice but terribly washed out.

and a new hoverfly.

You may remember that Harvestman that I got the other week, well I got one again with a little bit more focus.

Finally the shot I have been most wanting to show you, you will have seen pictures of Dragonflies doing this, even Butterflies, but have you ever seen this? I think its a Dockleaf Shield bug as it was on the edge of a huge patch of the things and it has the right shape to it. I would happily accept if you know different.

I found it when looking for insects on an old rotted tree trunk, caught it out of the corner of my eye. Had to get on my belly again, its getting to be too much of a habit. amazing to watch it gently pushing its way out, unfortunately although I would have loved to have watched it complete the change it started to pour down so I had to make a break for the shelter of the trees and then home. Truly, truly wonderful to see.

Hope you have enjoyed this post as much as I have obtaining the shots.